


Robin (Cobra) Hood

by Cakedecorator



Series: Luka VS. Félix [5]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Action & Romance, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - No Kwamis, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Robin Hood Fusion, Alya Césaire Knows, Alya Césaire Ships It, Amélie Spoils Félix, Asshole Félix Graham de Vanily, Badass Alya Césaire, Badass Luka Couffaine, Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Creative Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Designer Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Dragon Kagami Tsurugi | Ryuko, Entitled Félix Graham de Vanily, F/M, Fairy Tale Elements, Falling In Love, Fox Alya Césaire | Rena Rouge, Gen, Gentleman Luka Couffaine, Good Parents Sabine Cheng & Tom Dupain, Guitarist Luka Couffaine, Horse Max Kanté | Pegasus, Luka Couffaine Knows, Luka Couffaine Loves Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Lukanette fluff, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Is Not Ladybug, Minor Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Miraculous Team, Monkey Lê Chiến Kim | Roi Singe, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Prince Félix Graham de Vanily, Protective Luka Couffaine, Protective Sabine Cheng, Protective Tom Dupain, References to Canon, Sabine Cheng and Tom Dupain Ship It, Secret Identity, Secrets, Smart Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Snake Luka Couffaine | Viperion, Spy Alya Césaire, Sweet Luka Couffaine, Sweet Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Thief Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Turtle Nino Lahiffe | Carapace, yet - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 01:21:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29726151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cakedecorator/pseuds/Cakedecorator
Summary: In Paris, the Graham de Vanily royal family rules with an iron fist and has been financially oppressing the citizens for decades, with outrageous taxes and no empathy for the plight of the villagers. It's a wonder the country hasn't collapsed.The heir to the throne, Prince Félix, has been the center and the ringleader of it all. But in order to solidify his place as future king, he needs to be married, and trust me, no one is lining up for the job.Meanwhile, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the daughter of the best bakers in the village, is wondering what to do. They're just barely getting by, and everyone else is in town is on the verge of an uprising.Things start picking up when the famed Viperion and his Merry Friends come to the village to put an end to Félix's injustice, and around the same time, Marinette meets a young man with blue hair and eyes named Luka.
Relationships: Alya Césaire & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug's Parents, Sabine Cheng/Tom Dupain
Series: Luka VS. Félix [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1965850
Comments: 22
Kudos: 36





	1. Chapter 1

_*CRACKLE!* *WHOOSH!* *SNAP!*_

_"Yar-har-har! Let's swashbuckle!" An older woman with blue eyes and glasses, and long, grey hair in a braid cackled. She was wearing royal clothing, but it'd been since ruined with the addition of pirate garb, including a pirate hat._

_The look in her eyes was crazed as the fire burned around her. Out near the door to her room was a little boy and little girl, each with dark hair. The boy's hair was tipped in blue while the girl had hair tipped in purple._

_"She's gone mad..." The girl murmured as the boy held her close._

_"I know, Jule, I know..." He muttered._

_The woman whirled around to the kids and said, "Let's set sail, me young pirates!"_

_"Mom, no!" The boy shouted. "You've lost your mind! This...!"_

_But the girl started coughing on the smoke, and he looked in shock._

_He grabbed her arm and said, "Let's get out of here!"_

_The kids ran out of the woman's sight, but as she gave chase, another burning beam fell from above and blocked the door._

_The children were running through the halls, trying to shut the windows to cut the oxygen coming in so they could put the fire out. They kept this up, but the fire kept getting bigger with all of the fabrics and woods that were in the hallways._

_It took some time, including a lot of coughing from the smoke, but the two kids escaped the castle, and they made it a safe distance away in the woods._

_They looked at the castle as the smoke started billowing out of the windows that hadn't been shut, but the building was beginning to burn from the inside out._

_"Mom..." The girl began to cry._

_The boy comforted her and said, "Don't worry, Jule... When the time comes, we'll come back and fix everything."_

_"Promise?" She asked him._

_He smiled and said, "Promise... For now, let's go find somewhere safe to hide."_

_The two of them looked back at the castle once more before fleeing into the night._

* * *

_Ten Years Later..._

There was a town square that looked very dilapidated. Several buildings looked like they hadn't been maintained, including the doors and windows having boards around them. Several people were walking around with dirty, worn-out clothes, they looked like they weren't eating very much, and most people were looking pretty upset.

One of the few buildings that was still in decent condition was a small bakery. The building looked well-maintained both on the inside and the out, but inside the bakery, most of the cases were only filled part-way. Others looked very sparse, like they'd already sold some things, but it was slow.

Inside, the only two people working were a taller, burlier man with short brown hair, sideburns, a mustache, and green eyes with an apron and a hat was kneading a large ball of bread dough on the counter.

Next to him, his wife, a shorter woman with short, black hair, grey eyes, and wearing a cream dress and shoes was mixing batter in a large bowl wiht a wooden spoon.

"Sabine, how is that cake batter coming?" The man asked.

"Almost ready for the oven, Tom." She told him as she put the cake batter in a pan.

Sabine and Tom were busier than bees working in the kitchen, granted with their production lower than average, it didn't feel that way to them.

"Tom, I'm worried..." Sabine said as she shut the oven.

Tom looked at his wife in concern and said, "I know..."

Husband and wife hugged each other in worry.

"Dad, _Maman!_ " A girl about sixteen years of age said as she came running down the stairs.

She held a strong resemblance to Sabine, with dark hair in pigtails, blue eyes framed by feathery lashes, and and fair skin. She had a large box in hand, which was overflowing with what looked to be clothes.

"Morning, Marinette. Out to do your donation run again?" Sabine asked.

"Sure am," Marinette confirmed, but her face fell. "This may be my last one for a while. I'm running out of fabrics."

"And we're short on money to get them," Tom added. "If things don't turn around..."

"Yeah, that's what I'm worried about." Marinette confessed.

"Just do what you can," Sabine told her. "That's all you _can_ do."

Marinette smiled and nodded before bounding out the door.

Tom and Sabine smiled at their daughter before smiling at each other.

"Such a sweet girl," Tom said. "We _have_ to get more income so she can continue to be the artist she is."

"If only she'd start selling her dresses instead..." Sabine commented.

"You know the economic state, Sabine," Tom told her. "No one's got enough money after taxes for dresses."

"Speaking of taxes, they're just too high for anyone, never mind us," Sabine added. "Only the upper class can afford these rates."

"And even _that's_ a close shave, too." Tom stated.

As Marinette kept walking down the road to go somewhere to drop off the dresses...

On the outskirts of the town square, there was a big, tall, palatial castle with a coat of arms on the gates. Compared to the backdrop of the destitute village square, the castle stuck out like a sore thumb.

Inside the castle, the opulence on the exterior continued and amplified inside. In the dining room, the huge, long table was filled with so many luxurious foods, including roast pheasant with vegetables, accompanied by an earthy herb and tart cranberry stuffing. There were fresh, yeasty breads and salty, creamy butter on the side, and a medley of side dishes and wines to go with the food.

At the head of the table was a young man about Marinette's age with slicked-back blonde hair, green eyes, and he was wearing a sophisticated silver jacket and matching, fluffy necktie. He was eating his pheasant and stuffing while a musician playing a violin was standing behind him. Next to the youth was a woman to whom he held an uncanny resemblance. She was wearing haute couture that only someone of the upper class could afford, in black.

"Félix, I was thinking that with the money we've gotten from the taxes, we could hold a ball!" Amélie, the queen, said. "We could invite all the noble ladies in and get you set up with one of them."

"I think that sounds like a great idea, mom," Félix said as he ate more pheasant. "Running a nation is hard work. I could use a breather."

"I could, too." Amélie agreed.

"Yes, the most extravagant and elegant party that money can buy," Félix stated. "A ball with every eligible woman in the land and soon, my position as future king will be secure."

"I'll start making the arrangements for the party for the evening after tomorrow." Amélie said as she turned to the butler and gave him a smile and nod.

Outside near the orphanage, Marinette had arrived and she set the box of clothes down.

"Hello? Mme. Bustier?" Marinette called.

"Ah, Marinette, hello again." A woman greeted as she came out. She was wearing simple commoners' clothing in mint green and white, had green eyes and red hair, and a sweet smile.

"Nice day today, isn't it?" Marinette said as she started rummaging through the clothes.

"It is, Marinette," Mme. Bustier said, but her smile looked a bit sad. "...Is what I _wish_ I could say."

"Let me guess: the taxes?" Marinette began as she took out a fancy, purple dress.

"Yes," She began. "Because of the taxes, more and more kids are being dumped off here. But it's killing me inside to see so many families be broken up like this. Not only that, but chances are that the orphanage will be closed down for good if things continue."

"No way!" Marinette shouted in protest. "How can that prince be so selfish and oblivious?! He's taxing everyone into nonexistence just to fund his own costly lifestyle! His job is to lead our nation to greater things, not suck the life and joy out of us to the point of collapse!"

"I know," Caline spoke. "But for now, let's look on the bright side and get these clothes to the children."

"Okay!" Marinette said as Caline turned around and clapped her hands.

 _"Kids! Marinette's here!"_ Caline called.

Lots of younger children, boys and girls alike, all wearing tattered, brown clothing ran out to greet Marinette. Each boy and girl took out one dress or suit from the box, and they were all squealing in delight at all the colors, the designs, everything.

"Marinette, you've outdone yourself!" Calling said, clapping in delight. "The kids love your weekly visits with your clothes!"

"Thanks, but it may be a long time before I have the funds to do this again... Mom and dad are just barely getting by right now." Marinette admitted.

Caline looked at her in worry as Marinette wistfully looked at the kids. Seeing them so happy made her feel better, but at the same time, it was killing her that she wouldn't be able to do it for much longer.

 _"Thank you, Marinette!"_ One little girl said as she ran up to the girl and hugged her.

"Oh, you're welcome!" Marinette giggled.

 _"Thank you!"_ The other kids squealed as they also ran up to hug Marinette.

Marinette smiled and giggled.

Once everyone got their clothes and went inside, Marinette sighed before turning around and walking away.

As she continued walking home, she kept looking at the state of her hometown. Her face kept falling as saw how many buildings were boarded up, how many families moved away to other kingdoms for work, and how the royal family was so uncaring towards their plight.

"Hey, girl!" Someone shouted.

Marinette turned around to see Alya, a young woman with tan skin, hazel eyes, and dark red, wavy hair. She was also wearing glasses.

"Hey, Alya." Marinette greeted sadly.

"What's wrong, girl?" Alya asked as the two of them kept walking down the roads.

"What _isn't_ wrong is the real question," Marinette confessed. She crossed her arms. "I finished my donation, but I'm running out of the funds I need to keep doing this. Not only that, but Mme. Bustier is saying that things at the orphanage aren't looking good. She may have to shut the place down..."

 _"What?!"_ Alya shouted. "And render all those poor kids homeless?!"

"It's not her fault." Marinette justified.

"I know girl, but still... That damned family my parents call employers!" Alya griped.

"Alya!" Marinette gasped.

"What? It's not like anyone else is listening," Alya stated. "Besides, those two never go out of their castle, so they don't know how bad things are! Not that they'd care otherwise."

"Alya..." Marinette murmured.

"The only reason my family and I are sitting pretty is because my mom's the castle chef and my dad takes care of the menagerie." Alya stated.

"And my parents are barely making ends' meet with nobles' orders," Marinette murmured. "It's so hard on them."

"Girl, why don't you try and get a job as a seamstress at the castle?" Alya asked. "The extra income can help your parents."

"It's an idea, but honestly, I don't want to put up with the Graham de Vanily family..." Marinette said, shuddering. "If only there was someone brave enough to stand up to the prince..."

"I know," Alya agreed. "Like Viperion and his Merry Friends!"

"Who?" Marinette asked.

"Viperion! He's a snake-themed bandit who robs the rich in oppressed kingdoms to feed the suffering townsfolk!" Alya said as she came off like a huge superhero fan.

"Really? He just goes around stealing from nobles and giving the money to people so they can eat?" Marinette questioned.

"It's not just him! He's got a whole crew of animal-themed bandits that work together to help people! Honestly, we need someone like that _here_." Alya agreed.

"No one around here has the balls or the fighting skills to take on the guards," Marinette told Alya. "...I've been hearing rumors that some of the other citizens are planning an uprising..."

Alya shuddered and sucked in her breath in fear. She shook her head.

"Speaking of rumors, I overheard my mom talking about a huge party that the royal family is holding in two evenings." Alya began.

"What? They're holding a party? Why the hell...?!" Marinette asked, annoyed.

"Rumor has it that they're mingling for fun _and_ to get the prince a bride." Alya explained.

Marinette face-palmed. She and Alya made it to the formers' home, and Marinette said, "Well, party or not, it's got nothing to do with either of us."

Alya gave Marinette a nod. The two of them parted ways for the time being.

When Marinette got inside the bakery, she said, "Mom, dad, I'm home from my run!"

"Welcome home, honey." Sabine said from behind the counter... but she sounded distracted and rushed.

"What's going on?" Marinette asked as she came into the bakery. She saw that there were sacks of flour, sugar, and more all over the place.

"Oh Marinette," Tom said as he was running around with bowls in his hands. "We have a rush order! A big one!"

"A big rush order?!" Marinette asked, delighted. "That's great!"

"Yes! Queen Amélie wants us to cater this ball she and the prince are holding in two days!" Sabine elaborated.

"Oh, you're kidding..." Marinette muttered. "Alya heard rumors about that... So it's true."

"Yes," Tom confirmed. "We may not like the royal family, but they're paying us a handsome amount of money. We need this!"

Marinette nodded her head in reluctant agreement. She sighed before going up to her bedroom.

She laid down on her bed, and with her hands behind her head, she looked up and wondered...

How long until she and her parents would be on the streets? Or have to move to a new kingdom for their work? Or even both?

Her stomach churned at the idea of leaving her best friend behind. But Alya wasn't off-target with her suggestion of Marinette taking up a job at the castle as a seamstress, either.

Marinette pulled a grimace, then sat up. She looked at her one mannequin, and saw one of the dresses she'd recently finished. It was a pink one with a floor-length, tiered skirt with an opulent design, including wrist-length melon sleeves that had striping on it, etc.

Marinette intended on keeping that dress for herself for a party, festival, or any celebration that may come along. But with the economic situation as it was, it wasn't likely to be used for anything else.

Marinette stood up, walked over to the dress on her mannequin, and she picked it up. She sighed and said to herself, "It wouldn't hurt to try..."

* * *

The next morning, Marinette went down the stairs to talk to her parents about the idea.

"A seamstress job at the castle?" Sabine asked.

"Alya suggested it," Marinette told her. "Wouldn't it help? The extra money I earn will go back into the bakery and that'll help you keep this place going."

"Marinette, that's very sweet of you. Honestly, we've been thinking that you should start getting paid for your dress-making. Go for it!" Tom encouraged.

"Thanks!" Marinette said as she picked up the dress and started to leave. "I'll let you know how it goes."

Marinette left out the bakery and started jogging up to the castle.

The town didn't look any different from the day before, but Marinette didn't have time to focus on that at the moment. But because she wasn't watching where she was going...

_*SLAM!*_

"Ack!" Marinette shouted as she stumbled, her dress flying.

"I'm so sorry!" The other person said as the two of them stumbled and tried to regain their footing.

Marinette had no such luck. She landed on her tush and began rubbing it.

"Are you okay?" The same gentle voice said as he held his hand out. Marinette took the outreached hand and allowed him to help her stand.

"Yes, I'm okay..." Marinette said as she looked up at him.

She saw that he was a youth about a year or two older than her. He had a smile on his face, which held two blue eyes that were matching his blue-tipped black hair, and was wearing semi-nicer clothes that looked fairly new, with a black cloak and hood. He had a guitar on his back. He was also holding onto the dress.

"That's good," He said. "I didn't mean to slam into you."

"It's fine," Marinette said as she took the dress back from him. "Thanks for catching my dress."

"You're welcome," He said to her. "I didn't see the whole thing, but it's beautiful."

"Thank you," Marinette thanked, her face red. "I made it."

"You did? That's amazing!" He said, his smile growing.

Marinette once again blushed, but she shook her head before saying, "Oh, thanks for helping me, but I don't have time to chat! I need to make my way to the castle!"

"The castle?" He asked.

"Yeah, I plan on going to apply for a seamstress job there to help my family make more money!" Marinette said before running past him. She turned her head around, shouting, _"Thanks again! Stop by the Dupain-Cheng bakery! That's my parents' place!"_

He watched as the girl ran out of sight. He chuckled a little bit before putting his hood back up, turning the corner and walking down the road again.

When Marinette got to the castle...

"So, you're hoping to get work here as a seamstress?" An older woman, wearing mostly black, with her black hair with a red streak in it in a bun. She was looking at Marinette with a cold expression.

"Yes, ma'am," Marinette said as she presented the dress to the woman. "I think I can offer my services and provide very well."

The older woman examined the pieces with a critical eye, but her lips turned up the slightest amount before her face fell, once again a professional look.

"I apologize, young lady, but while your dressmaking is some of the best I've ever seen in a long time, we have enough seamstresses here." She told Marinette.

Marinette's face fell and she said, "Understood..."

Marinette left the castle, dejected. She began walking down the street, looking at her rejected piece, and she sighed in dismay.

"This was supposed to be my chance to help my parents." Marinette murmured.

Up ahead, she heard a brouhaha going down, and she looked up. She gasped when she saw the scene.

One of the tax-colletor carriages had stopped when it looked like they'd run someone over. She couldn't tell who'd gotten hit since the person was under a cloak. The crowd that'd gathered up were shouting, some in outrage at the tax collectors being so cruel as to run an innocent person over, some hollering for justice and wanting their money back, and others were screaming in fear and worry for the innocent pedestrian.

Some of the tax collectors were holding onto bags of gold, but had been so shocked about the idea of someone being run over that they were paralyzed and staring at the woman.

They jumped off the carriage to help the person and get her help.

Marinette saw someone in the back of the carriage that didn't look like a guard. He had a tuft of red hair, a mask, and looked like a money of some sort. He hooked one of the bags onto his staff, and threw it out of the carriage like a catapult. The bag soared in the air, showering the people with its contents before landing in the crowd.

Everyone began scrambling to pick up what they couldn't catch, and it caused a commotion. Some of the guards jumped in to stop the scuffle, people were shoving, shouting, and more.

Marinette was paralyzed and she couldn't move and/or think.

"Marinette!" Alya shouted as she dashed over. She had some of the coins in her hands, too.

"Alya, what's going on?!" Marinette asked.

"I don't know, but I like it!" Alya laughed as she looked at the money she'd gathered. But she saw something out of her peripheral and gasped in awe and delight. _"Marinette, look!"_

Marinette looked where Alya was pointing to see _more_ people sneaking onto the carriage. Three of them - one of them was a dark-skinned, short man in a brown suit with pale blonde dreadlocks in a ponytail and glasses. There was one man in a green suit with a big shield on his back and his head had a hood.

The last one was taller with teal green hair, a mask that resembled a snake's face and mouth, and his suit was dark cyan with teal green underbelly and a snakeskin texture. For some reason, Marinette's eyes were stuck on him.

"That's him, Marinette! Viperion and his crew!" Alya all but squealed.

Marinette watched in awe as he directed his group in a calm, composed manner with a smile on his face as they grabbed the guards and threw them into the crowd of angry villagers. Viperion briefly looked in the girls' direction before flashing a smile at his work.

"Carapace, the horses!" Viperion ordered his turtle friend as the two reptilian men grabbed the reigns, cracked them, and started getting them to move.

They turned the carriage around, being sure not to hit anyone, and the horses started running away. Every few seconds, a coin sack was thrown out of the carriage and onto the streets for the villagers to take.

"Wow, this is getting out of hand..." Marinette began as she looked on.

"Hey, where'd that person go?! The one that got hit?!" Alya asked as she and Marinette were looking around.

"They're gone!" Marinette stated in fright. "I hope they're okay!"

"Never mind that!" Alya said as she took Marinette's hands. "Let's go and get some coins for your parents before it's gone!"

Alya dragged Marinette into the brawl, being sure not to get hurt.

* * *

 _"What?! Robbed?!"_ Queen Amélie asked in rage as the guards reported the incident.

"Yes, Your Majesty," The head guard reported. They were all kneeling on the floor in front of the queen and prince. "Some bandits with animal-themed costumes caused a scene, all the money had been lost to the peasants."

"I don't believe this!" Amélie ranted. "You let a band of costumed nutcases take all that money?!"

Félix looked as bored as always, but he was listening intently.

"If I may, Your Majesty, it didn't seem like these thieves were amateurs," The lead guard spoke. "I think I heard the name of their leader... Vip... Viper... Something along those lines."

"I think his name was Viperion, sir." One of the other guards said.

"Yes, that's it! Viperion!" The head guard said. "I think he's that famed bandit leader!"

"Viperion and his friends..." Félix began. "Well, this _is_ distressing."

"Indeed. All that gold! All that money! Where is it going to go...?" Amélie fretted.

"I promise, Your Majesties, we _will_ apprehend these thieves and bring them to justice." The lead guard said.

"Please do!" Amélie pleaded. "Otherwise it will be _your_ heads."

The guards tensed up at that threat.

"We'll go out and apprehend them right now!" The guards stated in finality before running out of the throne room.

"Don't worry, mom," Félix said. "Let's let the guards worry about one measly snake. We have more important things to worry about: a ball to hold tonight."

"Yes, you're right," Amélie said to her son. "Come along, we should check on the Césaires and their cooking for the party tonight."

* * *

When the girls got back to Marinette's home with the money they'd collected...

"Check it out," Marinette said as she pointed out not one, but _two_ bags of money from the tax cart was at her parents' doorstep. "More!"

"Well, what's stopping you?! Take it and bring it inside!" Alya said as she ran over and picked up one of the sacks.

Marinette smiled and grabbed the other one before going inside.

"I can't believe Viperion and his Merry Friends are here in Paris!" Alya squealed. "This is unreal! Things are going to get so much better now!"

"Really?" Marinette asked, a bit skeptical as the two of them put the money down on the table.

"Yeah! Think about it! This is a sign of better things! No more tax hikes, no more starving citizens, the bakery will go back to earning more money and then you can get back to making your dresses!" Alya pointed out.

"That's true," Marinette said as the thought of her dressmaking came back to her. "Especially since getting a seamstress job at the castle fell through."

"What?!" Alya asked, disappointed and shocked. "Why?!"

"The woman told me they had enough seamstresses there." Marinette admitted.

"Really?! That sucks!" Alya griped. "Honestly, they're missing out on you!"

"I know," Marinette said with a sad sigh. "But at least I don't have to worry about the royal family as my employers."

"Fair enough," Alya agreed with a laugh. "Speaking of which, my parents are probably going to be wondering where I am. They may need me for the party tonight."

"Mine, too," Marinette said. "It's a huge party, and my parents are probably going to need me to help cater the desserts."

"In that case, I'd better go," Alya said as she stood up. "Maybe I'll see you there?"

"Maybe," Marinette said. "It'll make dealing with the Graham de Vanilys more bearable."

The girls laughed before parting ways for the evening.

At the castle later on, Marinette was helping her parents pass out the desserts and breads to all the minor and major nobility in the room. She was wearing a fancier dress herself, one she made using paler pink fabric she'd saved for herself. But her clothing was still modest compared to the sheer extravagance of the

As she watched all the women, she noticed that even _their_ clothes were modest by nobles' standards (fewer jewelry pieces, the fabrics weren't top-drawer, but still pretty pricey).

 _'The taxes must be so bad that even nobility can't maintain their opulent lifestyles...'_ Marinette thought as she handed out a macaron to one of the women.

She looked over the spread of goods her parents made. Macarons mostly, but it wasn't like they could afford to do much else, even _with_ the obscene amount of money the Graham de Vanily family paid them.

In the center of the ballroom was Prince Félix, still perpetually scowling, and yet surrounded by women.

Marinette rolled her eyes before going back to passing out the goods.

The waltz began to play, and Marinette sighed. Félix was going around to all the noble ladies, still scowling as usual. Marinette watched as he approached a girl with blonde hair in a ponytail and wearing a bright yellow dress with diamonds everywhere.

 _'Ugh, that dress must cost a fortune...'_ Marinette thought as she looked away.

"Chloé." Félix greeted coldly.

"Félix." Chloé greeted back, also not amused to see him.

"So, shall we dance?" Félix said as he held his hand out.

"Ugh, _no!_ The idea of dancing with you is _ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!_ Do you have any idea how many _fewer_ diamonds I have on my dress, no thanks to you and your mom's taxing?" Chloé sniped before flipping her hair and sashaying away.

"Still as annoying as ever." Félix stated with a scoff.

Marinette sighed, relieved. Marinette kept her eye on the prize (or more accurately, eyes on the desserts) and kept passing out the food.

"Marinette, why not go on the floor and look at some of the dresses the other girls are wearing, as inspiration?" Sabine suggested. "We can handle things here."

"Okay, mom." Marinette said as she left the table.

She looked around at everything, meandering around and minding her own business while trying to steer clear from Chloé or any other snooty noble girl that'd mocked her while in the bakery. Speaking of which, Félix once again asked a woman for a dance, only for her to walk away, rejecting him.

"Hey, have you heard?" "Yeah, I hear Viperion and his band of thieves are in the realm." "That's not good." "How so?" "My family's diamonds are liable to get taken!"

 _'On the subject of diamonds...'_ Marinette thought.

She looked at all the gemstones and luxurious fabrics that the ladies decorated themselves with, she sighed and wondered: how many of the jewels that Viperion's team nabbed were given to people who needed them? Did a good amount get to Mme. Bustier at the orphanage?

But for some reason, blue eyes jumped into her mind for a split-second. She remembered that young man from earlier, but she was in such a rush that she didn't get his name.

 _'Oh yeah, that young man from this morning... I don't think he came by the bakery after all... And I didn't even ask him what his name is...'_ She thought.

Her thoughts were cut off when she bumped into someone.

Marinette looked up and she paled when she saw the prince, staring down at her.

She backed away, saying, "I apologize."

He looked her over, almost examining her, like he'd seen a unicorn.

"...Is there a problem?" Marinette asked.

Félix merely took her hand and he said, "Dance with me."

"Say what?!" Marinette said as he dragged her to the dance floor and brought her into a waltz position.

"Hey, I didn't say I would dance with you." Marinette said as the music went on and they started dancing.

"I don't care." Félix spat.

Marinette groaned and tried to get away, but she was stuck. So, she decided to neither look him in the eyes, nor talk to him.

As the two of them waltz, everyone watched with curiosity and discomfort at the same time.

"I don't think I've ever seen you around here before," Félix commented. "You have a name?"

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng." Marinette replied, still refusing to look at him.

"The bakers' daughter?" Félix questioned.

"Yes." Marinette told him in a biting tone.

"Well, your parents certainly do decent work," Félix said, his scowl present. "My compliments."

"...Thank you." Marinette said, her stomach about to churn.

As they did an underarm turn, neither of them were looking each other in the eyes, both unhappy with the turn of events. However, out of his peripheral, Félix noticed how Marinette's dress twirled around on the floor.

"Where exactly did you get that dress? It's pretty good." Félix commented.

"I made it." Marinette stated simply.

"Really now?" He said, a smile coming onto his face. "I don't think the castle dressmakers could do anything like your work. I heard that a woman came by to ask to work as one. That was you?"

"Indeed." Marinette murmured.

"Pity you didn't make the cut." Félix snickered cruelly.

"Well, I wouldn't have _had_ to come and ask to work as a dressmaker if you weren't taxing everyone to starvation!" Marinette snapped at him as she whirled her head around to look him in the eyes, her voice loud enough to cut through the music.

Everyone went dead silent at this outburst, the music stopped, and everyone was staring at the scene in shock. The quiet was so bad that someone could hear a pin drop.

Sabine covered her mouth in shock while Tom held his wife by the shoulders.

"Excuse me?" Félix asked darkly.

"Do you have _any idea_ what you're doing to everyone?!" Marinette asked, poking him in the chest without fear of the consequences. Félix looked at her in surprise, not used to being chewed out.

Everyone was murmuring about how Marinette was likely to be hanged, but they were also curious about what she was saying.

"People are ending up on the streets or moving to find work, small businesses are shutting down and that's ruining the economy! My parents are _just_ getting by thanks to nobles' orders, but that's not enough!" Marinette stated. Her blue eyes had hot, angry tears as she continued to chew him out.

"Not only that, but families are being separated because parents can't afford to feed their kids, so they wind up giving up their babies to the orphanage! And at the rate things are going, those poor kids are going to wind up homeless because Mme. Bustier can't afford the upkeep due to - guess what? - _YOUR TAXING!"_ Marinette scolded.

Félix looked at her with what seemed to be an angry expression.

Marinette realized exactly how far she went, and she looked around at everyone, realizing that they were staring. She took a deep breath and she said, "People are suffering. I can't stand the sight of it."

She broke out of the waltz and walked away. Inside, she was panicking that she'd just ruined things for her parents' business, but as she looked at them out of her peripheral, they saw the proud, loving smiles they had. She saw Alya was giving her a thumb's up, too. Marinette left the ballroom to head home, not feeling safe in there anymore.

Once she made it a safe distance away from the castle, she sighed, feeling at ease. She turned around and looked at the castle, contempt in her eyes.

She wasn't aware that she was being watched from the shadows...


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Viperion and his team continue to work to benefit the citizens, Marinette starts getting to know the blue-eyed boy. Meanwhile, the prince is beginning to have designs on more than just catching Viperion...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can we please amp up the positive reinforcement here? I thrive on it. More comments and kudos will be very welcome.

The next day, Marinette was working on some macarons in the bakery while her parents were out on deliveries. Thanks to Viperion and his friends, people were ordering more of the Dupain-Cheng's products, so they'd gotten busier, and they were feeling more secure for the time being.

"Girl, I'm telling you, you were on _fire_ last night," Alya laughed. She'd come to visit and talk about the party. "I don't think _anyone's_ ever had the backbone to talk back to the royal pain-in-the-ass."

Marinette said to Alya, "Thanks, but I'm also embarrassed that I did that."

"Don't be. You should be proud," Alya told her. "Your parents had your back about it, didn't they?"

Marinette sighed before saying, "True. Mom and dad _were_ proud of me for speaking up. But now I'm scared the royal family won't order from them again."

"As if your parents need the Graham de Vanily family as customers, not with Viperion and company turning things around for the people." Alya told her.

The girls laughed.

"Yeah, people have been buying up most of our goods the past few days. We can't keep stuff _on_ the shelves. It's been great." Marinette said.

"That's good, and this extra income means you can make more dresses for yourself! And if this keeps up, you may be able to open your own dress shop!" Alya stated.

"That'd be the dream." Marinette moaned in delight.

The bell above the door jingled. The girls turned to the door to see a familiar face come in. Marinette recognized him as the young man she ran into. Her heart skipped a beat.

"Oh, hi there," Marinette said as he approached the counter. "I'm glad you came by."

"Thank you," He told her. "I wanted to come and get something, but I had other things to take care of first."

"I'm just happy you came by at all," Marinette replied, her face tinting a bit. "So, what can I get you?"

"Well, your name first," He said to her, chuckling. "I didn't get it when we last met."

"Yeah, I didn't get yours, either," Marinette giggled. "I'm Marinette."

"Luka." He introduced with a smile.

"Well, Luka, what do we have here that's whetting your appetite?" Marinette said, only to realize how awkward that sounded.

"Those macarons look delicious," Luka said. "I'll take two dozen."

"Two dozen macarons, coming right up!" Marinette said as she took the tongs and began putting macarons in different colors into a small box for the young man.

The two of them kept looking at each other. He seemed cool and collected, meanwhile she seemed a little flustered. She could feel her heart accelerate as he kept giving her a calm smile that made her feel at ease.

Alya looked on, a knowing, eager smile on her face. She went over to Marinette and tapped her on the shoulder, mouthing to her, "Talk to him."

"Oh, so..." Marinette began as she kept trying to box the goods. "You... Um, new around here?"

"Yeah, I am," Luka said. "My sister and I arrived a few days ago."

"Then I guess you've seen how bad the situation is," Marinette said, her eyes going askance. "The number of shuttered houses and businesses, the amount of people on the streets..."

"I noticed," He said as he looked around the bakery before turning back to Marinette. "It seems you guys are doing okay, though."

"Barely," Marinette admitted as she took a few more macarons and got them in the box. "My parents are surviving thanks to orders from the upper class, but that alone won't keep the bakery afloat."

As Luka's eyes sparkled in the lights of the bakery, Marinette once again blushed. Her eyes were fixated on the color of his eyes and his hair, wondering how someone could be blessed with such coloration.

"...Hey, remember that incredible dress you made? Whatever happened to it?" Luka mentioned, bringing Marinette out of her daze.

"Oh, um, the drag - er, the dress? I... I have it in my closet." Marinette said, regaining her senses.

"And the dressmaking job at the castle? How did that work out?" Luka questioned.

"The royal family is filled with idiots for not taking Marinette for the work - they told her that all their positions were filled." Alya scoffed.

"Seriously?" Luka asked.

"Yeah! But who needs them? Once the economy gets better for the people, Marinette will be able to open up her own store for her dresses." Alya spat.

"Assuming Viperion's presence here in town makes the royals realize what they're doing." Marinette stated.

"Or your call-out from last night does the trick." Alya snickered.

"Alya!" Marinette hissed, embarrassed and her face red.

"Call-out?" Luka questioned, looking at Marinette. "What kind of call-out?"

"Um, you see, last night at the castle, I, um..." Marinette began, insecure.

"Oh, you should've seen _and_ heard it! Marinette _totally_ ripped the prince a new one and then walked out of the ball with her head held high! I don't think I've ever seen her parents so proud." Alya told him.

Marinette blushed and her eyes went askance, worried about this handsome man's reaction. She took a deep breath and she looked up at him.

"You did that? That's unbelievably brave," Luka praised, looking Marinette in the eyes, causing her heart to skip a beat. "I'm sure if Viperion heard about it, he'd be impressed, too."

Marinette blushed and giggled before saying, "Thank you. Here are your macarons."

"No. Thank _you_ ," Luka said as he looked over the macarons and took one out before shutting the box. "They look amazing. I'm glad I get the chance to try them."

Marinette once again giggled before saying, "You and everyone else in town."

"It was great talking to you, Marinette," Luka said as he smiled and bit a macaron. "Wow, this is good! I'll definitely come by again."

"Really?" Marinette asked.

"Yeah," Luka said. "I'll see you again soon."

He went for the bakery door, but not without turning around and giving Marinette charming smile and nod. He slipped out the door. Marinette was looking on with a wistful smile, her cheeks still a bit pink. The faintest of sighs left her lips.

"What was that all about, girl?" Alya asked, a teasing tone.

Marinette snapped out of her stupor and she said, "That? That was... Something..."

"Something akin to love blooming, I think?" Alya teased. "And it sounded like you two met before. Details, girl."

Marinette sighed before saying, "Nothing to tell. We just literally ran into each other, exchanged a few words, and then I ran off to the castle to ask about being a dressmaker."

"That's it?" Alya asked.

"Yes, that's it." Marinette said as she put the dry macaron shells into the oven.

"Come _on_ , girl, there's gotta be more than that! I noticed your blushing, sighing, and goo-goo eyes at him." Alya said.

"I-um, well, maybe..." Marinette said as she stared at the blue shells in the oven for a moment. She thought, _'The same blue as his eyes...'_

She shook her head before going back to reorganizing the case.

The bell rang again, and Marinette looked up to see her parents come in, smiles on their faces.

"Hey mom, dad," Marinette said as her parents approached. "How'd it go?"

"All our deliveries were on time! We actually even have more orders to get done for tomorrow!" Sabine said in delight.

"That's good," Marinette sighed, relieved. "I'm just glad you're busy."

"We are, too," Tom said. "And I see that people are coming and going for our goods, too."

"They are," Alya told them. "Marinette just sold two dozen macarons."

"Excellent!" Tom chortled. "Things are looking up, thanks to Viperion!"

"I know!" Alya said with a smile.

"And now that the people are getting wealthier..." Sabine said as she took out a bundle for her daughter. "We have enough money to get you more fabric for your dresses!"

Marinette smiled as she took the fabric out and saw it was a reasonably-priced pink fabric.

"Oh, I love it!" Marinette squealed as she hugged it.

"Why don't you go and start making something out of it?" Tom suggested.

"Great idea! Come on, Alya!" Marinette said as she ran to her room to get started, with Alya following.

* * *

A little while later, Marinette was in her room, looking at her mannequin, which had the bodice and the sleeves of the dress done. She had the leftover fabric she was using to make the skirt of it, and some of the other little, more expensive things she'd saved up since the economy took a nosedive.

"Okay, maybe this dress should use some of these flower gemstones as accessories and decorations on the dress..." Marinette murmured as she took out some of her homemade cherry blossom pins, using rose quartz and some cheaper metals, all in different sizes.

She took the largest one, and she said, "This would be perfect on the waist area..."

"Marinette, we need a little help out here!" Sabine shouted from the bakery.

"Coming!" Marinette said as she put the pin away.

She came out into the bakery and saw the number of people in the bakery, all lined up with their chosen desserts to buy. They were still wearing somewhat ratty clothes, but to Marinette, the smiles on everyones' faces was enough.

"Marinette, we need you to work on this dough! I'll tend the customers." Tom said as he put some dough on a workbench.

"On it, dad." Marinette said as she went to the bench and started kneading it.

Marinette was humming along to the chatter and the happiness of everyone in the bakery. The familiar sensation put her at ease, and she was also letting her mind wander to the dress she was working on.

But the sound of screaming, crying, and shouting was heard out in the town square, killing the laughter.

Everyone, including Marinette, looked up and saw what was happening: the head tax collector on the squad force was leaving a dilapidated house carrying the tiniest sack of silver coins he had.

"Please! I'm a single mother with a child to feed! You can't just take that away!" Nadja Chamack, a woman with short, magenta hair, wearing worn out clothes said. She was carrying her daughter, who had darker skin, gold eyes, brown hair in pigtails, and also wearing ratty clothes. "How am I supposed to feed Manon without that money?!"

"Sorry lady, but you gotta pay your dues." The guard said as he coldly tossed the coin sack in the carriage.

Everyone around the scene was roaring injustice and screaming for the guards to show mercy.

Marinette was watching the scene in rage, and she asked aloud to her mother, "Hey mom, think we can give any of today's leftovers to the Chamacks?"

Sabine, who caught a glance outside, looked at her daughter and said, "Great idea, honey."

Marinette sighed as she kept working. She was stewing in her rage and taking it out on the bread dough.

There was a shout outside, followed by screams and crashing noises. Marinette looked up and out the window to see a girl wearing a red and black outfit, had a mask on her face, short black hair, red and black horns on her head, and a sword in her hand. She was confronting the lead guard by pointing the tip of her sword at his throat.

She left her station at the bench to get a better look.

"Unhand those riches, you knavish swine!" She said to him.

"I, I apologize, young lady, but we-!" The tax collector stated as he held his hand up in defense, only for the sword to come closer to his Adam's apple.

"Actions speak louder than words, _scum_ , so return those ill-taken coins to the citizens!" The red-clad girl ordered.

"Why should we listen to you?" One of the other castle guards asked, not amused at the girl's demand.

"I think the real question is why _shouldn't_ you listen to me: by refusing to give this money back to the suffering commoners, you're supporting an injustice, enabling evil to fester and infect this place. Is that what you want your uniforms and badges to stand for?" She questioned.

The others looked at each other, and the crowds were cheering in agreement with the dragon-esque girl.

"Enough of this!" The group leader shouted as he drew his sword out. _"En_ _garde!"_

"Bring it on." The girl said with a smile as the tax collector charged at her. She blocked with her sword and swiped back at him, forcing him back.

Marinette watched in awe as the girl fought tooth and nail against the guard, with so many flips, jumps, and sword moves that she'd only seen other guards use to fight.

The girl used the handle of her sword to jab the guard in the stomach, knocking the man to his knees and forcing the weapon out of his hand and onto the ground. She jumped on his back, jumped off, and she swiped her blade at the carriage, forcing the door to open up and some of the other bags of loot to spill out.

"Stop! You're-" The guard wheezed as he stood back up.

"The winner of this duel, sir." She said.

"I may not be able to stop you, girl, but my squad mates will." He wheezed again.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that." Another male voice said. Everyone looked to see Viperion and the others had tied up the other soldiers and unarmed them.

"Nice work, Ryuko!" The horse-themed man said.

"Thank you, Pegasus," Ryuko said as she grabbed one of the bags of gold, threw it over her shoulders and Nadja caught it. "For you and your daughter, _Madame_."

"Thank you!" Nadja said as she took the money into the house before the guard could grab it.

"Just you wait! The prince will hear of this!" One of the guards said.

But the thieves were ignoring the guards as they continued taking the money from the carriage and giving certain amounts of money to different groups. Smaller families got one bag of coins, families that were larger got two bags, and places such as the orphanage, some of the local businesses and institutions nearby got three bags.

Marinette smiled in relief.

When Viperion _himself_ took three bags of gold and jumped off the carriage, he started jogging over to the bakery. Marinette stepped out to meet him, and she looked at him in awe.

"For your family and your bakery," He said as he gave her the gold bags, still looking her in the eyes with an emotion she couldn't place. "I hope this helps you."

Marinette smiled at him and she said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," He said as Marinette went inside with the bags. He turned around and went back to his team. "Alright, we're done here guys. Let's go!"

Everyone on Viperion's team took their seats in the empty carriage. Pegasus cracked the reigns on the horses and they started running out of the town square.

The citizens were cheering them on, some of the church's people were chanting blessings on them, and Marinette couldn't help but feel optimistic about the future of her town.

* * *

Back at the castle...

"So last night was a failure," Amélie said as she paced around the throne room. "Not a single young lady was even _interested_ in becoming Queen, not even Chloé Bourgeois! What woman in their right mind would pass up a chance to be pampered and live a life like ours?"

Félix was glaring off into space, thinking about the lecture he got, before mumbling out, "...Especially the Dupain-Cheng girl."

"Yes! Especially her! The nerve of that girl, publicly slandering us the way she did!" Amélie said, playing the part of a sad, disgraced woman. "We ought to try her for treason and have her hanged!"

Félix smiled at his mother and said, "I have another idea in mind, mom..."

As he was about to continue...

"Your Majesty!" The captain of the guard said as he and a squadron of his guards came into the throne room.

"Excellent! Do you have the tax money?" Amélie asked, delighted.

"No," The captain reported as he and his team got to their knees. "Unfortunately, Viperion and his crew once again robbed us blind!"

"Again?!" Amélie gasped. "How did you let that snake get you _again?!_ "

"Like we said before, they're not amateurs." The captain stated.

Amélie growled before saying, "Go back out there! Get that money and bring it back! And you'd better catch Viperion while you're at it!"

"Yes, Your Majesty." The captain reluctantly said before he and his team left the throne room.

"Good grief..." Amélie sighed.

"This Viperion seems like he knows what he's doing." Félix commented.

"Well, soon he'll be skinned and dead for going against our crown," Amélie said before turning to her son. "Now, let's get back to more important business: finding you a wife!"

"Yes, mom, getting me a princess _should_ be the priority..." Félix added, a wicked smile coming on to his face. "And I have the perfect woman in mind..."

The following day...

Marinette was once again working in the bakery while her parents were out on deliveries. As she was filling the blue shells, she thought to herself, _'I wonder how Luka is doing? Is he going to visit again?'  
_

Looking at the blue shells and seeing that they matched with Luka's hair and eyes, it made Marinette feel a bit... Lonely.

She'd been so focused on trying to help her parents get by, worrying about her friends out in the town, angry with the royal family for their oppression... That she'd forgotten about herself.

Thinking about it, she was going to reach her eighteenth birthday in a few months. She should've found a suitor, hell, she should've been married by now. But as her parents once told her, "Love has neither a timeline nor a deadline." And her parents married when Tom was twenty (which was considered late), so they were a living example of that. And with the economic situation, no one in the kingdom was in any rush to marry their kids off anyway.

But Luka came along, they talked only one or two times, and she was already thinking about seeing him again.

_'That's unbelievably brave.'_ Luka's words echoed in her mind, causing her heart to beat.

No one had ever called her brave before. Creative, kind, generous, yes, but never _brave_. It was a quality that was out of left field, and she couldn't help but mentally have that compliment on a loop.

Luka seemed very sweet, and he certainly had an inexplicable charm about him, too. If only he'd come back, she'd try and find more time to talk to him...

The door opened and the bell rang. Marinette turned around and she said, "Welcome to Tom and..."

Her fantasies of blue eyes were ruthlessly crushed by ones of Peridot green. Her blood turned to water and her skin got clammy when she saw the prince had come into the bakery, with a wicked smile on his face.

_'Oh NO! What is_ HE _doing here?!'_ Marinette thought, about to drop the macaron.

"Hello, Marinette," Félix said as he approached her, his hands behind his back. "I see your family is busy."

"Um, yes..." Marinette said as she tried to remain civil. "My parents are out on deliveries."

"Well, I'm out on work, too," Félix said as he gestured outside. "Trying to lay a few traps for a certain snake."

Marinette looked out the window and saw some of the castle guards were putting up wanted posters of Viperion around some of the buildings. Marinette's face went even more ashen.

"I... I... Um..." Marinette began.

"The world can be very dangerous, especially with criminals like Viperion and his band around," Félix said, looking at Marinette with predatory eyes. "But once I catch him..."

"Viperion and his friends wouldn't even _be_ here in the first place if you weren't abusing your power!" Marinette barked back, only to cover her mouth.

_'SHIT! I'm dead!'_ Marinette thought.

Félix leveled a glare at her for a second, only to say, "Abusing my power?"

"Yes," Marinette said, finding more courage to continue. "That's what you're doing, with your insane tax rates."

With a scoff, Félix told her, "I don't see how taking the money I need to run the kingdom is abusing my power."

"Yeah, you're running the nation - running it into the ground, that is!" Marinette spat.

"You know..." Félix said as he leaned in across the counter and into Marinette's space. She leaned back in response. "The way you talk to me. Your behavior at the ball the other night... There's something about it..."

"Oh?" Marinette asked, still glaring him down and showing defiance in her facial expression. She was covertly reaching for a rolling pin.

"You're outspoken. Fearless. You're not even an upper-class woman, and yet you spoke in such a way that everyone stopped to listen," Félix stated. "You commanded the room's attention. You stepped out of line."

Marinette glared him down, gripped the handle of the wooden piece, and said, "Is that so? I'll take that as a compliment."

With a scoff, Félix leaned in closer, and said, "No thanks to that, not a single woman in the room was interested in becoming my princess."

"I don't think any of them were interested in being your wife even _before_ I spoke up!" Marinette said, ready to take the rolling pin out and brandish it.

"Well, I can't become king until I get married, and so far, I'm struggling to find the perfect candidate to be queen..." Félix began, his face going from a scowl to a conniving smirk.

"With damned good reason!" Marinette spat as she felt sweat bead on her temple.

Outside, Luka was walking through town to get to the bakery. He passed one building and saw one of Viperion's wanted posters were up. He looked at it with an analytical, cautious look before turning to look at the bakery. He saw the royal carriage, and he squinted his eyes at the gaudiness of it. But when he saw the prince inside the shop, coming on to Marinette, and her looking _very_ uncomfortable, he made a quick dash.

"...I think you owe me," Félix stated, smiling wickedly. "You owe me something... Something _sweet_..."

"Plenty of desserts in the case, so-" Marinette began, trying to deflect him.

_*DING-A-LING*_

Marinette looked to the door. In relief, she sighed and said, "Oh, Luka!"

Luka looked at Marinette and said, "Sorry I'm late. I couldn't find my cittern."

He held out his instrument, and Marinette looked at him in confusion. But he winked at her, causing her heart to flutter a little bit. She blushed and said, "Oh, that's perfectly fine."

"I'm glad I made it at all." Luka said as he came closer.

Félix gave him a glare before saying, "Do you mind? I'm trying to get something here."

"You're getting in her space," Luka said firmly. "Back off."

"Did you just tell me, _the prince_ , to back off?" Félix said as he backed away from Marinette and began approaching Luka.

"I did," Luka said casually, not letting Félix intimidate him. "You'd think the royal family would have better manners when it comes to how women are treated."

Félix growled before turning to Marinette and telling her, "I'll be back."

He left the bakery and got in his carriage. Once the horses pulled the carriage out of sight, Marinette let out a _huge_ sigh of relief, she laid her arms and chin on the counter and she felt the tension leave her body.

"You okay?" Luka asked her.

"I am _now,_ " Marinette told him as she looked up at the blue-haired boy. "Thanks for that."

"No problem," Luka stated. "So, what was that about? I knew you called him out at the ball..."

"I have no idea," Marinette said, sighing. "I wasn't sure if he was here to chew me out and bring me in for treason, or if he was threatening to do something if I spoke up like that again. Either way, it was creepy."

"I'm just glad you're okay," Luka said as he sat down on one of the chairs. "So, your parents out making deliveries?"

Marinette gave him a silent nod.

He took out his cittern and said, "I'll stay here and play some music to keep you company."

"Thank you." Marinette said as Luka started playing his music.

The tempo was andante, with a conjunct melody that had a monophonic texture and was being played in major key. The dynamics were at mezzo-forte and it filled the room.

The calming music flowed out of the open window. The people who were walked around felt their moods lift, and the beautiful music combined with the bakery smells wafting out of the window made their stomachs yowl for food.

Within seconds, there was a line out the door to the bakery. People who were being served right away were talking to Marinette about how happy they were to enjoy the Dupain-Cheng goods again. Meanwhile, those who were waiting in line were listening to Luka's music.

"Okay, four baguettes!" Marinette said as she gave one customer four loaves of bread in paper bags.

"Oh, this is miraculous!" The man said. "My family's been starving!"

"Happy I could be of help." Marinette giggled.

"Yeah! No thanks to the taxes, we've had to sell some of our livestock to the nobility just to eat," The person behind the customer stated. "We used to have eight cows, but now we're down to only two, and they don't make as much milk as they used to."

"We didn't have the money to buy food, never mind the medicine my son needs for his wheezing!" "Every time I get some coin from my job, the royal family takes it away! I'm busting my ass for nothing!" "They're parasites, I tell ya!"

Luka played a few louder notes to call for calm. Everyone looked over to him, and he continued playing, a smile on his face.

"Okay, next in line, please?" Marinette said as the man who bought the baguettes left the bakery.

"Three dozen macarons, four baguettes, and two of your pies, please!" He told her.

"Coming right up!" Marinette said as she started backing up the goods. She looked at the case and nearly panicked, realizing the case was getting empty. "Mom, dad, hurry and get home..."

Outside, Tom and Sabine were walking up the road to the bakery, all their deliveries done.

"This is wonderful," Sabine said. "Oh, if we ever meet Viperion in person, we need to give him some of our goods as our thanks."

"That might not happen today," Tom pointed out. "Check it out."

Sabine gasped in delight when she saw the line out the bakery door. The sound of the cittern music was also playing.

One customer, her arms filled with breads, came up to the couple and said, "Seeing your bakery thriving again is a sight for sore eyes! And bringing in that handsome young man to play music was a nice idea, too!"

As the lady walked away, Tom and sabine looked at each other in confusion before Tom asked, "Young man?"

Tom and Sabine immediately went into the bakery and saw how busy it was, how overwhelmed their daughter seemed, how the case was about empty, and the aforementioned "handsome young man" sitting in a chair off to the side, playing his cittern.

"We're back, Marinette," Tom bellowed, getting her attention. "Well take it from here."

"Thanks," Marinette said, breathing in relief as she stepped away from the case. She found a seat next to Luka. " _So_ glad my parents are back..."

Luka gave Marinette a charming smile as he kept playing the music.

"You okay?" He asked.

"A little tired, but fine," Marinette admitted. "Thank you."

Tom and Sabine watched out of their peripheral as they began baking more breads and pastries for the case.

As things slowed down, Sabine came over and said, "So, _you're_ the handsome young musician one of our customers mentioned."

Luka chuckled and Marinette blushed as the former said, "That'd be me."

"Mom, dad, this is Luka." Marinette said as she made the introduction.

"What brings you by? Normally having a young man around our daughter when we're not here isn't very proper..." Tom began.

"Well, better me than the prince," Luka admitted as a scowl came up on his face. "He was here earlier."

Tom and Sabine paled and the latter shakily asked, "W-What did he do?"

"He was getting in my space and acting very inappropriately. Luka stepped in and chased him off," Marinette explained. "And he decided to stick around in case His Royal Nastiness came back."

"So you were being our daughter's bodyguard? Thank you very much!" Sabine said in relief, with Tom smiling in pride.

"Now _that's_ how a man should behave! Respectful of women and their boundaries! Well-done." Tom praised.

Marinette blushed while Luka chuckled again. He started playing his cittern once more and Marinette sighed as she listened to his music. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! That's it for this chapter. Let's keep the positive reinforcement and the comments coming. The more, the better. Say what you want, but I thrive on positive reinforcement.
> 
> Coming up, Félix continues to bother Marinette while trying to find a way to catch Viperion, Alya drags Marinette into doing something dangerous, and more!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Marinette continues to get to know and fall for Luka, the prince starts making his undesirable interest in Marinette pretty clear. Not only that, but Viperion and company continue their work in Paris, but when Alya mentions her concerns about them getting caught...

It'd been two days since Luka stayed with Marinette in the bakery.

Marinette was back to working on her dress in her bedroom, sewing the flower pin onto a white strip of fabric for the sash of the dress. The skirt itself was an evening-length A-line, and the bodice had a décolleté neckline with bracelet fitted sleeves.

"This is turning out so beautiful," Marinette said as she put the sash on the dress and she smiled. "Maybe someday I can wear this to a fancy ball, maybe with Luka..."

Marinette paused when she realized what name fell from her lips. She blushed with a smile and she giggled as she thought of the cittern-player that acted like the prince Félix wasn't.

There was a knock on her door.

"Marinette! Mylène's here!" Sabine said.

Marinette gasped in delight as she ran out to the bakery floor to see her friend. She was a shorter, chunkier girl with golden eyes, and blonde hair with strands of different colors (pink and green, for example) behind a modest headpiece.

"Mylène!" Marinette said as she ran over and gave the noble girl a hug.

"Hi, Marinette!" Mylène greeted back with a giggle.

"Congratulations on your engagement to Ivan Bruel! You deserve to be treated like a queen, which is just the way he treats you!" Marinette stated.

"Thank you!" Mylène laughed as she blushed. "I'm glad my dad approved of Ivan and me."

"Why wouldn't he?" Marinette asked. "He's always felt Ivan was a good match for you, hasn't he?"

"That's true, but you know how nobles are: always trying to get the next generation to climb the social ladder. Ivan and I are the same rank." Mylène explained.

"Ah, I got it." Marinette said before the pair of girls laughed.

"So, how have you been?" Mylène questioned as she looked at the case of desserts. "I see things are going well here."

"Well, better than they _used_ to," Marinette sighed as she gestured for Mylène to follow her into her room. "I'm sure you've heard by now?"

"About the taxes, or about Viperion's arrival in the kingdom?" Mylène asked.

"Both," Marinette told her as she continued working on her dress, now making the skirt. "On the subject of Viperion, I'd be surprised _and_ disappointed if he robbed you... Wait, did he-?"

"Funnily enough, the ride here was uneventful," Mylène reported. "Not like there'd be much for him to take from my family, anyway. Most of our discretionary goes to charity."

"That's good," Marinette said as she put a layer of white tuile fabric on the skirt. "According to Alya, Viperion and company _always_ do their homework."

"Changing the subject, Marinette, I wanted to ask if I could commission you to make my wedding dress and Ivan's suit," Mylène asked, eliciting a delighted gasp from Marinette. "We'll pay you and make it worth your while."

"Oh, Mylène, you've just made my day!" Marinette laughed as she took her friend's hands. "Of _course_ I'll make your wedding clothes!"

"Oh, that's wonderful, Marinette!" Mylène spoke. "Ivan and I owe you so much. We wouldn't even be _engaged_ without you!"

"It's no problem, Mylène," Marinette told her. "I can't wait to get started on this! In fact, I'll get on it right now!"

"Really?!" Mylène asked in delight.

"Of course." Marinette said as she and Mylène pulled up chairs and sat down to talk about the dress. Marinette took up her sketchpad and started drawing out her ideas.

"So, I'm thinking an empire-style dress would fit you best, and due to your height, we should probably stick with a fingertip veil." Marinette said as she presented her sketch to her friend.

"Okay," Mylène agreed with a nod and a smile. "What else?"

"Well, what other details have the two of you figured out?" Marinette asked.

"We're going to keep it simple and low-expense, so if the dress could be a bit more simplistic, too..." Mylène told her.

"Done," Marinette agreed as she she erased a few of the more expensive, labor-intensive details. "So if you're keeping it simple, I guess the number of guests is limited?"

"Right," Mylène confirmed. "Immediate family only, but Ivan and I _insisted_ that you and Alya attend."

"Me and Alya, guests?!" Marinette squealed before giving Mylène a hug. "Thank you!"

"It's no problem." Mylene giggled.

"I'm sure Alya will be thrilled with the news! Luka, too." Marinette said, but she covered her mouth when she mentioned the musician's name.

Mylène tilted her head and asked, "Luka? Who's Luka?"

Marinette blushed and she began, "He... Well, he's a new friend..."

"A friend?" Mylène asked, looking at her friend in curiosity.

"Y-Yeah, he just arrived in town, along with his sister," Marinette admitted, her face going from pink to red. "He plays the cittern, he's handsome, and... he's very sweet."

"Sounds like you might've found more than just a new friend." Mylène giggled.

Marinette smiled shyly, not denying Mylène's statement.

Later on, Luka came by to talk to Marinette. They were sitting at a table near the wall of the bakery. Marinette's parents were working the counter, so they were "supervised" (though Marinette had a hunch her parents wouldn't have cared if she and Luka were alone).

Marinette had brought a few small pastries to Luka, and he was enjoying the fruit-filled goods while they were talking.

"Can you believe it? I'm making wedding clothes for nobility! And I'm attending the ceremony!" Marinette squealed.

"That's amazing," Luka chuckled. "So, I take it you know Mylène Haprèle?"

"Pretty well, actually," Marinette stated as she sipped some tea. "Mylène and I first met when we were toddlers, _long_ before everything with the economy went to hell in a hand basket."

"Really?" Luka asked, curious.

"Yeah," Marinette said. "Mylène's always been a bit of the shy type, but when it comes to policy, she really doesn't hold back. Her family's more liberal and progressive. Not to mention they're trying to ease everyone's pain by donating most of their leftover money to the hungry, sick, and elderly."

"That's good." Luka said with a smile.

"I know," Marinette told him. "She's not the only noble family to focus on doing the right thing. Her fiancé, Ivan Bruel, often helps her out on her projects and backs her on her policies, too."

"Have you met Ivan?" Luka asked.

"Yes," Marinette stated. "In fact, one of the reasons Mylène and Ivan want me at their wedding is that they say that without me, they wouldn't even _be_ a couple."

"How's that?" Luka questioned, a smile growing on his face.

"Well, I learned that Ivan had feelings for Mylène, but he was struggling to tell her. So, I suggested he write her a poem or a song," Marinette began. "I went with him when he presented the poem to her. At first, he _tried_ singing and scared her..."

She winced at the memory.

"So, how did that turn out?" Luka asked.

"Before she ran off, I stepped in and told her to read the note that he wrote. Once she looked it over, the two of them got to talking. I stood off to the side to watch, just in case. They've been in love ever since." Marinette finished.

"So you played Cupid for them," Luka chuckled. "That's great."

"Yeah," Marinette said, blushing at his words. "Next to my parents, they're my favorite couple!"

The two of them laughed.

Tom and Sabine watched from behind the counter, smiles on their faces.

"I'm glad you got some work for your dresses," Luka told her. "I'd love to see some pieces one day."

"Really?" Marinette asked in delight.

"I would," Luka confirmed with a nod. "Seeing the clothes you made before, I _know_ Mylène will love what you make."

Marinette's blush went deeper and her heart began fluttering at Luka's words of encouragement. She looked at him and saw the calm smile on his face, the twinkle of affection in his eyes...

"Thank you." Marinette said, her eyes going askance.

Luka stood up from his chair, took her hand and helped her stand, and the two of them gazed at each other for a few seconds.

He chuckled and told her, "I'm glad I got to see you again, but I need to get going. I'll see you again soon?"

"Yes." Marinette said wistfully, her mind in a romantic reverie.

When Luka left the bakery, she swooned with a wistful sigh and giggled. She spun on the balls on her foot before going back into her room to keep working on her dress.

Tom and Sabine looked at each other, while Sabine told her husband, "I definitely see sparks flying between them, in the best way."

"So do I." Tom agreed.

* * *

About an hour or so later, out in the woods, on the pathway to the kingdom, there was a modest (by nobility's standards) carriage being drawn by two horses.

Up in the canopy area nearby, Viperion and his team were watching. Viperion and Pegasus had spyglasses to get a better look at the noble family's carriage.

"Okay, that's them. Time to strike!" King Monkey said as he made to jump in.

"Hold it!" Viperion hissed, stopping the monkey by blocking him with his arm. "That's the Haprèle family! We can't rob them!"

"Why not, dude?" Carapace asked.

"I have it on the best of authority that they're donating whatever spare money they have to those in need, and the daughter is actively trying to change things politically to benefit the people." Viperion stated.

"And didn't we all agree that it's a rule _never_ to rob ethical, moral noble families like the Haprèles?" Ryuko questioned in a scolding tone.

"Yes, 100%," Pegasus said as he put down his spyglass. "And we certainly wouldn't do it to anyone else who's willing to give what little they have for the greater good."

"Right," Carapace stated. "Then we'll just bide our time until the next spoiled rotten nobles come along."

"Let's head back for now." Viperion instructed.

The group sneaked off into the greenery while the Haprèle family went on their way.

Back in town...

Marinette was in town, carrying a basket filled with breads and rolls, and she was at one of the smaller cottages near the square.

"Thank you! Hope to see you at the bakery soon!" Marinette said as she took some silver coins, pocketed them, and took out the requested bread from her basket.

"No, thank _you!_ This is just what we've been starving for." The woman at the house said.

Marinette laughed before saying, "Enjoy!"

She started walking away to continue her deliveries.

She stretched one of her arms and took a deep breath before letting out a happy sigh, saying, "It's such a beautiful day! My parents are thriving, I'm making wedding clothes for nobles... Things couldn't be better!"

She heard the whinnying and hoof clopping of horses. She turned around, saw an opulent carriage with overly-decorated horses running towards her. She screamed and jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding getting trampled.

The breads flew out of the basket. She began running around and catching all of the goods before sighing in relief.

She turned back to the fancy carriage and screamed, _"Hey, watch where you're going!"_

The horses stopped, as did the carriage, and the passenger door opened. Out stepped...

"Oh, _no_..." Marinette murmured as she saw the prince. She pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance.

"Ah, Marinette," Félix said as he smiled, shut the door, and began walking over to her. "I've been hoping to see you again."

"Well, now you have," Marinette said, turning her face away from him while crossing her arms. "Now, if you excuse me, I have more important things to do than breathe the same air as the likes of _you_."

She turned to leave and get back to work, only for Félix to grab her by the wrist and start dragging her into the carriage.

"Hey! Let me go!" Marinette shouted as Félix pulled her in and shut the door. The driver cracked the reigns of the horses and started driving the carriage again.

Marinette squished her back up against the door, using her hand to try and open it (only for it to be locked), all while glaring the prince down.

"What are you doing?!" Marinette demanded.

"Bringing you to your next delivery." Félix said simply.

"Thanks, but no! I'm fine with walking!" Marinette snapped as she tried to get the door again.

"Sorry, but I don't plan on letting you leave this time." Félix stated, a predatory smile coming onto his face.

Marinette swallowed a lump in her throat. She looked at her surroundings, trying to think of an escape plan.

She looked out the window and saw the carriage went past one of her destinations.

"Hey! That was the Anciels' house! I was supposed to make a stop there!" Marinette shouted as she lunged for the other door.

Félix grabbed her wrist before looking her in the eyes.

"Tell me something, Marinette: how would you describe this carriage?" Félix asked her.

Marinette looked around at it, taking a good, hard look at the interior of it. The shining from the gold was so bright that she had to cover her eyes, the garish contrast between the gold and the muddy brown made her want to hurl. She also didn't like how close she was sitting next to the prince.

"...Tacky." Marinette stated, looking him dead in the eyes.

A vein throbbed in Félix's forehead for a second before telling Marinette, "Maybe so, but being royalty has its perks."

"How so?" Marinette asked, crossing her arms and raising a questioning brow.

"People at your beck and call, and you can have anything your heart desires." Félix told her.

"Oh, please," Marinette scoffed before turning her face away. "That's all fine and good, but all of that wealth and power comes with a boatload of duties! Duties and responsibilities that you _should_ be performing."

Félix was about to retort, but Marinette started jiggling the door handle, saying, "And _I_ have responsibilities to get back to - my parents are counting on me for these deliveries and I can't let them down!"

"You're wasting your time in that dinky bakery," Félix said as he grabbed Marinette by the shoulder and turned her around. "You deserve to be decorated in the finest clothes and jewels money can buy."

"And be showered in the filthy byproducts of your oppression? No thanks!" Marinette said.

"You shouldn't be looking a gift horse in the mouth," He told her, leaning in closer and closing her in. "Your parents wouldn't _dare_ deny the prince. Think about it: I go into the bakery and ask your father for your-"

 _"HELL NO!"_ Marinette shouted. "My dad's more likely to whack you on the head with the biggest rolling pin he has and throw you out!"

"Then he'd be tried for assault and battery and treason, then hanged." Félix said, his tone turning dark.

"Which he'd accept with dignity." Marinette told him, her eyes narrowing and her glare getting dark.

Félix smirked and said, "Gutsy."

Marinette finally shouted to the driver, _"Stop the carriage! NOW!"_

The driver yanked on the reigns, the horses reared up on their hind legs, and Marinette immediately flung the door open before dashing out.

Félix tried to chase her, but she slammed the door shut before running down the road to the Anciels' family house.

"Oh, I'm so late! That damned prince!" Marinette shuddered as she kept going.

Félix watched Marinette leave, his usual scowl on his face (and rubbing his face, since his cheek was hit by the door).

Marinette zoomed by an alleyway, unaware that another pair of eyes were on her...

"I'm so sorry for the delay." Marinette said as she gave the Anciels the bread they ordered in exchange for the coins.

"It's fine," Marc, the Anciels' son said as he took the bread. "Be careful getting home."

"Thanks." Marinette said as she pivoted on her heel and began running back to the bakery.

* * *

Once she got home, Marinette was working on her dress. She was sent in there after telling her parents what happened, telling her that they'd watch out in case the prince came by.

Marinette continued grumbling about the prince's audacity as she started finishing up the details on it.

_*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*_

"Marinette? It's me, Alya!" Alya said from the other side of the door.

"Come in." Marinette said.

Alya opened the door and ran in, saying, "Hey, I heard! Mylène wants you to make her wedding dress?!"

"Yes!" Marinette said, squealing in delight.

"Oh, this is amazing, girl!" Alya said. "You're gonna be known in higher circles for your fashion work!"

"I know!" Marinette squealed. But then her face tensed. "But... That also may put me at higher risk of meeting up with His Royal Cruelness."

"Your parents gave me the 411 on that." Alya scoffed as her eyes narrowed.

"Yeah," Marinette muttered. "The balls on that guy..."

"I can't believe him!" Alya shouted. "Nice job escaping that monster."

"For now," Marinette said with a sigh. "So, what else is new?"

"That's what I came to talk to you about," Alya reported. "While you were out on deliveries, Viperion and his team robbed the Bourgeois family _completely_ blind! All their jewels, gold, everything!"

"What? The Bourgeoises?!" Marinette surprised. "Knowing Chloé, she threw a _complete_ tantrum!"

"Oh, she did," Alya laughed. "And they had so many guards around them, too."

Marinette giggled, but she said, "Not like the Bourgeoises have more where that came from!"

"Yeah, but now the guards are actively trying to go out and find Viperion! And you're seeing the wanted posters around, haven't you?" Alya stated.

"I have," Marinette began. "And yes, I'm worried..."

"Marinette, remember: the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing!" Alya insisted.

"But Viperion and his group already _are_ doing something!" Marinette stated.

"But it's not enough," Alya argued. "They're liable to get caught and executed once the guards start getting wise. If we don't step in..."

"Hold on, _we?_ " Marinette asked, her eyes widening.

"Yes, "we", Marinette! The next time Viperion and company are working, we're going to go out there and do something to help!" Alya said.

"Are you crazy?" Marinette questioned. "If we go out there in broad daylight and the guards see us..."

"Yeah, that's a good point..." Alya said.

Marinette got her usual thoughtful look on, only for her brain to come up with something.

"Hey! I have an idea. There _is_ that fabric I've been saving up for a special occasion... And I've always thought you looked great in orange." Marinette said, a clever smile on her face.

Alya also smiled, excited to hear Marinette's plan.

* * *

Later on, Alya was in the bakery, watching Viperion and his team from the window. The thieves were once again tangling with the head castle guard and his crew, trying to retrieve the money for the people.

Alya specifically had her eyes on the turtle of the team, finding him handsome. Even with the giant, green shield on his back, he was nimble enough to jump and dodge the guards. He even had the physical strength to tackle and knock one guard to the ground.

Alya smiled, a flirtatious look on her face. She and Carapace met eyes. They stared at each other for a few seconds...

 _"Carapace, pay attention!"_ Ryuko shouted as another guard tried to hit the turtle. He ducked down, did a sweep kick, and knocked the guard off his feet, like he slipped in water and went up in the air.

Carapace looked up and saw one guard, with a sword, was about to stab King Monkey.

"King Monkey, heads' up, dude!" Carapace shouted as he threw his shield and knocked the sword out of the guard's hand.

King Monkey looked up and said, "Thanks, Carapace!"

Carapace nodded in response and King Monkey did a back flip before landing on the guard's shoulders. He started pounding his chest like a gorilla and making monkey noises to distract the other guards, meanwhile the guard he was using as a chair was stumbling around.

Ryuko was once again in a sword fight with one of the other guards, and the match was much too close to call. She was maneuvering around in such a way that the other guards were gawking at her in awe.

She slid between the guard's legs and used her sword to cut the seat of his pants. The rip opened up and revealed that he was wearing multicolored boxers. Everyone who saw this started laughing.

But the humor was short-lived as that guard shouted, _"Anyone else who dares laugh will be taken to the dungeon!"_

With the exception of the noble thieves, the citizens and bystanders clammed up.

Viperion was standing tall with his lyre in hand, and he was glaring at the main opponent: the head guard.

 _"Give that money back!"_ They both shouted before jumping in to fight. Viperion used his lyre as a shield and often played notes to distract the leader.

As they continued brawling, Alya was watching in both awe _and_ fear. She started biting her nails in anxiety.

"Oh, they're neck and neck!" Alya muttered before turning her head back to Marinette. "Girl, are they done yet?!"

"Not yet, Alya!" Marinette said from her bedroom.

"Hurry it up, girl!" Alya said anxiously.

"I'm going as fast as I can, Alya!" Marinette shouted back.

As they were talking, Viperion ducked a weapon and kicked the guard, he backed off and shouted, "Pegasus!"

"On it!" Pegasus said as threw one of his horseshoes.

It ricochetted off the wall, onto the ground in front of Carapace, onto the side of the tax carriage (shaking it and causing some of the coins to fly out and into the hands of the starving people, inciting their applause and cheers), and it finally hit the guard in the back of the head, knocking him off his feet and making him face-plant onto the dirt.

"Gather up the sacks!" Viperion ordered as he snatched a sack of gold and started tossing them to his teammates.

Viperion found a stack of barrels against one of the walls. He climbed the barrels up to the roof, looked down to the citizens, and smiled.

He opened the gold sack and tossed all the money out of it. The coins rained down on the people, who were cheering in delight.

Marinette came out, and she said, "They're almost done!"

"That's great," Alya said to her best friend. "But we missed all the action!"

She gestured outside and both girls watched as they saw it raining money.

"I'm gonna go get some of that, okay?!" Alya said as she dashed out of the bakery.

"Alya!" Marinette shouted after her.

Alya ran out into the streets, only to run into someone.

"Ack!" She said.

"Sorry, dude." A familiar voice said.

Alya looked up and saw she was face-to-face with Carapace. She couldn't really see beyond his hood and goggles, but she could tell he had dark skin and amber eyes. She also noticed that the hood was casting shadows on his face, hiding his red cheeks. Alya also had red on her face, too.

Marinette watched as the two of them got close, and she smiled in delight, looking like a giddy fangirl who was seeing her favorite ship begin sailing.

The turtle-themed youth gave Alya a smile.

"Carapace..." Pegasus said in a scolding tone.

The moment was killed, and Carapace shook his head. He immediately picked up some coins from the ground, put it in Alya's open hands, and said, "Please, use this money to help your family."

"Thank you." Alya said before taking the money and running back into the bakery.

"Looks like I'm not the only one getting twitterpated, huh?" Marinette teased.

"Oh, shut up!" Alya said, rebuffing Marinette's insinuation. "You're the one swooning over a man with a cittern."

"Not arguing there." Marinette giggled.

Both girls laughed.

Up on the rooftop, Viperion was watching the two girls from his vantage point. He smiled, turned around and knelt down before tying off another sack of the money they collected.

* * *

The next morning, Marinette was humming along as she kept working on Mylène's wedding dress.

As she looked at the dress, she could just imagine the sweet noblewoman wearing it, standing next to her groom, just happy to be married.

Marinette smiled and giggled. She looked at the pink dress she was also doing and sighed. She was already picturing herself wearing it at a party, dancing with Luka, who was wearing a nicer suit, in dark cyan, navy blue, and black.

Her fantasy was broken when she heard a knock on the door.

"Marinette! Luka's here!" Tom said.

"Coming!" Marinette said, smiling.

She came out of her bedroom, smiling and humming along to the music she remembered Luka playing for her.

"Hi, Marinette," Luka greeted, his hands behind his back and his charming, suave smile still on his face. "I see you're in a good mood."

"Oh, I am." She laughed.

"I think I have something for you that will make you even happier." Luka said as he pulled something out from behind his back.

She gasped in joy when she saw a sack of money.

"Money to help you with your dressmaking." Luka said as he gave it to her.

"Where did you get this?!" Marinette asked in delight as she took it in hand.

"I gathered up some of the coins Viperion and his team spread across the grounds yesterday. I thought you and your family could use it." Luka said.

"Oh, that's so considerate of you! Thank you so much!" Marinette said as she put the money bag down and gave Luka a hug.

Luka hugged her back, and Tom and Sabine were smiling at the scene.

Outside, the prince was supervising more of his guards putting up wanted signs for Viperion.

He heard Marinette's sigh and laugh, he turned around, but his eyes widened when he saw Marinette in the arms of the same minstrel who'd interfered with him before.

He watched as Marinette left Luka's arms, and she continued talking with him. As Félix kept watching the exchange, he scowled at the sight. He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at it. Seeing Marinette acting all sweet, bubbly, and friendly towards some... Some blue-haired _commoner?_ The sight of it made his blood begin to simmer.

"Your Highness?" The guard asked as he put up another poster.

"Just look at that girl," Félix said, his voice dripping disdain combined with affection. "I bring her into my carriage to get a taste of the good life, and _look:_ she's gallivanting with some musician."

The guard looked at what Félix was watching, and said, "Isn't that the young bakers' daughter from the ball?"

"Yes," Félix confirmed. "And seeing her act like that is disgraceful."

The guard didn't comment, merely putting up another wanted poster on the wall of another building.

"But no matter," Félix said as his scowl turned into a confident, naughty smirk. "Soon enough, she'll be mine."

The guard didn't listen, instead choosing to go back to work.

After Luka left, Marinette decided to put the finishing touches on her and Alya's "secret project," including sewing one last seam. She cut the thread, and she said, "Perfect."

She hid the items in a closet, and she shut the door.

"Marinette!" Alya said as she dashed into her room. "We've gotta get going! Are they ready?"

"Just finished them, Alya," Marinette said as she turned to her best friend. "So, what's the news?"

"I overheard some of the castle guards saying they're planning on catching Viperion by first taking _all_ the money in the village! Every coin from everyone!" Alya reported.

"What?!" Marinette asked.

"His Royal Cruelness ordered that they make such a huge spectacle out of catching Viperion and draining everyone of their money that they won't _dare_ defy the crown again." Alya explained.

"That's crazy!" Marinette spat.

"Yeah, I hear they're prepared now. Ropes, training, everything," Alya said. "They're gonna make sure they're prepared for _anything_ Viperion and his team may pull."

Marinette looked at her closet, opened the door, and she said, "Then it's time for us to strike. What do you think?"

She pulled out the costumes. Alya smiled, and she said, "Girl, those are _unreal!_ Let's get to it!"

"Meet me outside. I have a few things to gather up." Marinette said as she handed Alya her costume.

* * *

Yet again, Viperion and his group were fighting off the guards to retrieve the money the sheriff and his group had taken.

Viperion was using his lyre as a shield and throwing it like a boomerang and knocking guards off their feet.

King Monkey was using his staff to whack guards and he was acting like a buffoon (to the amusement of the others, and to the annoyance of the guards).

Pegasus and Carapace were back-to-back, with Pegasus using his horseshoes to hit the guards and get them disoriented. Carapace had his shield up and was using it to block the swords and spears from the others.

Pegasus looked up and he said, "Ryuko!"

Ryuko turned behind her to see one guard had gotten the drop on her. He used his sword to knock hers out of her hand, and he grabbed her arm and pulled it behind her. Pegasus threw his horseshoe to knock out the guard. Ryuko tried to kick backwards to knock her opponent out, but she didn't see that Pegasus's horseshoe was on the way.

The guard saw it though, and he moved out of the way. The horseshoe wound up hitting Viperion in the leg, knocking him down to the ground.

Another guard grabbed Viperion and started to bind his wrists with the rope. King Monkey tried to get the guard away from Viperion, only for his tail to get grabbed. He was stopped in his tracks, the guard used the rope tail to bind his arms. It wasn't long before Carapace and Pegasus followed.

Meanwhile, Marinette and Alya - in their respective costumes - were watching from in an alley, each on one knee and looking at each other. Alya was dressed in a fox-themed suit, including an orange coattail with a white point, her legs and arms were black, and her front body looked like the orange and white coloring of a red fox. She had fake fox ears on her head, and her hair was in a high ponytail. She also had a mask on her face with an orange top half and a lower bottom half, with black spots as her eyebrows. Marinette was wearing a red and black-spotted bodysuit with a black turtleneck, red and black-spotted mask, and her hair was in two pigtails instead of down. Marinette had a makeshift yo-yo on her waist, meanwhile Alya had a flute strapped to her back.

"Crap, they're stuck and now the guards are loading them up. What's the plan?" Alya asked, her voice a whisper.

"You'll just have to follow my lead," Marinette said. She pulled out a sack and opened it up to reveal a few things. "We'll be using these."

Alya gave it a questioning look and asked, "Yarn balls, forked sticks with rubber strands tied around it, and gravel? How complicated is this supposed to be?"

"Just trust me." Marinette assured, a smile on her face. She gave a "come on" hand gesture and began running down the alley.

A few minutes later, the entire group of noble thieves were loaded up into the carriage where the money way, and their weapons were off to the side.

In an alley up ahead, Marinette had one of her sticks loaded up with two of her yarn balls. A few alleys ahead on the opposite side of the road, Alya was standing on a wooden crate, the bag of gravel in hand.

As Marinette closed her one of her eyes, she kept watching the carriage coming through, raised up her makeshift slingshot, and .

"Three... Two... One... _NOW!"_ She shouted as she let go of the rubber and launched the yarn balls.

The balls hit the front and back left wheels, and the yarn balls unraveled, and then wrapped all around the spokes, metal insert, and around the inner beams of the wagon. The wheels stopped turning, causing the wagon to start screeching and slowing down.

Alya threw the pebbles right in front of the wagon, and as soon as the wheels hit the gravel, it started spinning and skidding. The guards and the thieves were screaming as the carriage kept running.

The carriage crashed into a nearby wall, breaking the wood and spilling the gold. Some of the guards were bounced out of the carriage and they landed into some nearby hay bales, meanwhile the thieves were still stuck in the back. Marinette and Alya ran out and confronted the remaining guards.

Marinette took out her red and black-spotted toy yo-yo while Alya had her flute out, ready.

"Who are you two?! New members of this gang?" One of the remaining guards asked, as he held his head to clear up his dizziness.

Instead of answering, the two girls charged in for a fight, just as the guards took their weapons out to fight, too. Marinette was spinning her yo-yo to use it as a shield against the swords, while Alya was smacking the hands and feet of other guards who chose hand-to-hand combat.

"Girl! These guys are good!" Alya said as she kicked one guard in the back before jumping away and hitting another one with the flute.

"They've been at this for a long time," Marinette stated as she used her yo-yo to wrap the string around one of the guard's ankles and yanked him off his feet. "We gotta keep going!"

The girls kept fighting, kicking, punching, and everything. Once Marinette found an opening, she ran to the carriage, jumped in, and grabbed Ryuko's sword. She went to the group of thieves.

"Hey, who..." Ryuko began.

"Later," Marinette said as she cut the ropes tying Viperion up before moving on to Ryuko. "We're getting you out of here."

She handed Ryuko the sword before she and Viperion jumped out of the carriage.

"Get everyone else out of here!" Viperion ordered the dragon.

"On it!" Ryuko responded as she started cutting Carapace's ropes.

As Marinette, Alya, and Viperion were continuing to fight the remaining guards, one of the ones that were in the hay rose up. He caught sight of the other thieves running.

"Hey! They're getting away!" He shouted as he ran to catch up to them.

Marinette ducked as one guard tried to tackle her. She looked up and she saw the guards trying to recapture the other thieves.

She saw a giant sheet hanging in an alley and some rope on the ground.

"Viperion!" Marinette shouted.

Viperion kicked one guard down before looking at Marinette, and he said, "Yes!"

"I need you two to grab that rope and that sheet!" Marinette directed.

The two of them looked at the items, and Alya asked, "You're making this even _more_ complicated?"

"Trust me!" Marinette said as she used her yo-yo to block another guard. The man fell on his back before she used her foot to kick him back into the hay.

Alya and Viperion ran to get the items, leaving Marinette to the guards. They all tried to run after her, but she jumped and kicked them in the faces. She landed, tumbled, and stood up.

She teased, "Catch me if you can!"

She started running down the alley where she saw the sheet. She turned around and saw the guards had lost sight of her. She saw Viperion and Alya had gotten the sheet and ropes.

"Okay, so now what?" Viperion asked.

"Here's the plan..." Marinette began.

As the guards kept running around, trying to find the red-spotted girl and the fox.

 _"Yo-hoo! Over here, you stupid guards!"_ Marinette taunted, jumping up and down and going "nya-nya-nya-nya-nya" at them.

Once they started chasing her, Marinette turned on her heel and kept running. She ran across a clearing, pivoted, and stood her ground.

As they closed in on her, smiles on their faces, she smirked in response.

 _"NOW!"_ She shouted up to the sky.

Alya and Viperion, who were standing on the rooftops, yanked on the ropes, pulling up big, heavy sheets. The guards stopped, but they were too late, and ran into the sheets. They were scrambling to get out from under, but they all tumbled onto the ground.

Viperion and Alya jumped down to the ground, and the three of them tied up the guards using the ropes they had.

"Done!" Marinette said. "Now let's get the money and get out of here!"

Viperion and Alya nodded in agreement.

About half an hour later...

Viperion went into the alley where the others were waiting for him.

"Dude, glad you got out of there." Carapace said.

"I couldn't have done it without these two." Viperion said as he gestured to the fox and ladybug girls, who were coming closer.

"Hi there," Marinette said as she and Alya approached the group. "I'm M... Ladybug, and this is..."

"Rena Rouge," Alya said, coming up with a name on the spot. "Nice to meet you."

"Thanks for your help," Viperion said. "We were in a bind."

"Yeah, you two were good," Carapace, the team turtle said. "Though it felt like our thunder got stolen."

"That wasn't the plan," Ladybug said. "We just wanted to help."

"Your fighting skills are amateurish, but you did well." Ryuko praised.

"That was impressive." Viperion agreed.

"Thank you," Rena said. "We're glad you guys came. We've lived in this village our whole lives, and we know how bad things have gotten around here."

"We got tired of standing by and doing nothing," Ladybug stated. "So we were wondering if... We could help you out?"

"Like, join us?" King Monkey questioned.

"Yeah," Rena confirmed. "We can pool our resources. Ladybug and I know the village and its inhabitants well."

"Sounds like a great idea," Viperion agreed. He held his hand out for a fist-bump. "Welcome to the team."

Ladybug and Rena Rouge did a fist-bump with Viperion, and the team smiled a bit tensely.

"Are you sure about this?" Pegasus asked. "They're strangers. How do we know that they're not spies for the royal family?"

"Has my judge of character ever been off?" Viperion questioned the group.

Crickets.

"Thought so," He chuckled. He turned to the girls and thumb-jerked behind him. "Follow us to our camp."

Viperion turned around and he started walking away. The rest of the team looked at Rena Rouge and Ladybug before following their snake leader.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this chapter's done.
> 
> Coming up, the Lukanette/Viperbug romance continues to grow, as does Félix's desire to court Marinette, and Marinette and Alya enjoy their first missions as Ladybug and Rena Rouge.
> 
> I may need a break from this so I can come up with new plot points for it. So, let's keep the comments and kudos coming. More positive reinforcement motivates me!

**Author's Note:**

> Coming up, Marinette gets to know the blue-eyed boy from before, Viperion and his team start making a name for themselves in town, and the prince is already having designs on more than just catching Viperion...
> 
> Let's keep the comments and positive reinforcements coming, okay everyone? I thrive on positive reinforcement.


End file.
